Shuttle guard



May 13, 1952 GREEN 2,596,545

SHUTTLE GUARD Filed Jan. 8, 1951 Irv/q 8. Green J J 4 JNVENTOR.

A Home Patented May 13, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHUTTLE GUARD Irvin B. Green, Danville, Va. Application January 8, 1951, Serial No. 204,846

6 Claims. 1

This invention comprises novel and useful improvements in a shuttle guard and more specifically pertains to an attachment of an improved construction adapted to be mounted upon the lay swords of looms adjacent the shuttle boxes for deflecting shuttles downwardly into the shuttle boxes, thereby preventing the disadvantages in weaving which are attendant upon inaccurately picked shuttles,

The primary objects of this invention are to provide a pair of shuttle guards of an improved construction and action for guiding the shuttles into the shuttle boxes; to provide shuttle guards having an improved manner of applying the same to a 100m; and to provide a shuttle guard construction which may be readily adjusted to compensate for wear in the same during operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a shuttle guard having a thread guide member for preventing catching of the shuttle thread upon the shuttle guard during picking of the shuttle.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects of the invention, which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated, by way of example only, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of a loom of the single end type showing the manner in which the present invention is associated therewith;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a loom lay and lay sword showing the manner in which one of the shuttle guards is mounted thereon;

Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views respectively of shuttle guards for the left and right lay swords of the loom construction as viewed in Figure 1.

Reference is now made more specifically to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, it being seen that the device is shown as applied to a portion of a conventional loom the same having a pair of lay swords I together with a conventional shuttle box arrangement consisting of a plurality of shuttle boxes [2 disposed at the left end of the loom construction, and a single shuttle box M at the right end thereof, together with a shuttle l6 adapted to be picked in any conventional manner from the single shuttle box I4 to one of the boxes [2 in accordance with conventional design.

It is well known in this art that frequently shuttles when picked between the boxes l2 and I4 tend to rise too high in their path of travel, so that the same do not properly enter the opening of the shuttle box towards which they are directed. This erratic travel of the shuttles and failure to enter the proper shuttle box, gives rise to numerous and time consuming delays in the operation of a loom. Accordingly, previous attempts have been made to provide shuttle guards for the purpose of directing an erratically traveling shuttle downwardly towards the loom box. Heretofore such guards have not been entirely successful for the reason that they were not easily adjustable to compensate for wear upon their guard surfaces; they were not easily installed upon a loom; and frequently their installation resulted in a partial obstruction to the free travel of the shuttles, and interference with the shuttle thread and the like.

The shuttle guard of the present invention is designed to overcome all of these objections in a simplified, economical and convenient manner.

In a single end loom such as that illustrated in Figure 1,the present invention contemplates the mounting of the shuttle guards upon the lay swords l0 above and adjacent-the shuttle boxes l2 and I4.

The shuttle guards for the right and left hand lay swords are identical except for two differences which will be pointed out hereinafter.

Each of the guards includes an elongated arouate metallic plate, that for the left lay sword being indicated at l8, and that for the right lay sword at 20. These plates are of identical dimensions and proportions, except that they are reversed with respect to each other. Thus, what may be termed the inner end of the plate, having the numeral 22 applied thereto for both plates, has a smoothly curving surface directed inwardly and upwardly with respect to the two lay swords as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The outer or rear end of the shuttle guards has a relatively shorter more abruptly upwardly and outwardly curving portion as at 24.

It will be understood that the curvature of the shuttle guards will be so chosen as to enable the same to function most efficiently in deflecting an upwardly flying shuttle downwardly toward the adjacent shuttle box.

Riveted or otherwise securely attached to the convex surface of the plates l8 and 20 is a cushioning lining or sheet of material 26, which may be of any desired character. This cushioning layer is intended to soften or cushion the impact of the shuttle against the guard, and to yield sufiiciently to permit the shuttle to slide or be directed downwardly along the convex undersurface of the guard and towards the adjacent shuttle box.

In accordance with this invention, the shuttle guards are detachably mounted upon the lay swords of the loom and carriedthereby. For this purpose, a mounting bracket of the identical constructionrand indicated by the numeral 28, is fixedly attached as by welding or the like asat 30 to'the upper surface or concave surface of each of the shuttle guards and extends upwardly and laterally therefrom. The bracket 28 extends laterally beyond the side of the shuttle guards I8 and 20, and is provided with an elongatedterminal portion 32 which is provided with a V61: tically elongated slot 34. The plate-like bracket 28 is adapted to rest flush against the inner surface 36 of each of the lay swords l0, and is remevab v s cure th reto s y e fastening bol .38 -vvh-i h extends hreueh an ex ng p rture in-the lay sword mounts the shuttle thereon.

T e b eek ts 6 are welded t t pl e 22 nightlrrssmsidl-Mi th ree ral por o he am abutmen in term o ate s i e- -weldedt so th la es 2. as at 42 an is spaced ioos t a l of h plate m h bracket 2.8 an betwe n the la e a h r arward end of eachof the shuttle guard plates. The member 40 may be of any desired character and shape, and could be formed as a part of the bracket :28 if desired. l-Iowever, as illustrated, the construction has the advanta e that the two plate members 238 and 40 may be easily fabricated from steel istampings or the like at a minimum cost, and result in :a very simplified construction.

The function .of the abutme t 40 is o prov de a vertical abutment surface which is flush with and rises from the inward ed e 44 of each of the plates 22. This abutment surface, as will be apparent fromFigures 1 and ,2, is adapted to abut against and seatagainst the front face of the lay swords ill to thus firmly and securely position the shuttle guards upon the front surface of the lay swords.

As will be readily apparent from Figures '3 and e, each of the brackets 28 has the forward end of its enlarge-d portion .32 recessed, cut away or notched as at .46 to provide a clearance between V the enlarged portion 32 and the undersurfaceof the guard. This will insure that the bracket will not be struck by the shuttle It as the latter passes the shuttle guard prior to its, entry into one of the shuttle boxes 12 and 14.

When the shuttle guard is used with the single end construction .of loom shown in Figure 1, it is desirable to provide the guard adjacent the plurality of boxes 12 with a thread guide to prevent entanglement or catching of the thread carried "by the shuttle upon the end .or corner of the shuttle guard.

For this purpose, a guide member is mounted upon the rear portion 24 of the shuttle guard 18. This guide member, as illustrated, may conveniently comprise an upwardly and transversely disposed guide element 48 having at its lower end a portion 50 by means of which the same is welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the concave upper surface of the shuttle guard l8. Conveniently, this guard member may consistvof a wire or strip 7 of spring material, appropriately positioned to deflect the trailing thread of a shuttle from guard or shuttle.

ii-from the foregoing, the construction and oporation of the device will be readily apparent and furth-er explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled'iin the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, t i not des red to limi t invention to the erect enstru t ee sho n and de d, bu al suitable modificat on an equivalents m y be resorted o te l n w t -sc o the appended cla ms.-

b ihein nt n, what is a med :1, LA loom shut le uard c mprising a curved plate, a layer of cushioning material secured to the convex surface of said pl t a bracket cured to the ,concare surface of the plate and extending laterally therefrom, said bracket having a ,flat surface adapted to flatly lie against the inside surface of a lay .sword, an abutment mounted on said plate and having an abutment surface adapted to abut the front face of a lay sword for positioning said "bracket thereon, the loom having a shuttle box, said bracket and abutment positioning said guard adjacent said shuttle box for deflecting a shuttle "into said box.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said bracket has a cut out portion adjacent the edge of said plate to insure clearance for passage of a shuttle.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein said bracket and abutment are spaced longitudinally of said plate.

.4. The combination .of claim 1, including a guide member on said plate for preventing obstruction of, the shuttle thread by a corner of the plate.

5. The combination of claim 1, including a guide member on said plate for preventing obstruction of the shuttle thread by a corner of the plate, said guide member consisting of an up wardly and laterally directed finger.

6. The combination of claim 1,including a slot in said bracket for effecting adjustment of said guard upon a lay sword relative to a shuttle box.

IRVI N B. GREEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

shirt]; erases rsT r Number Name Date 617,590 Melvin Jan. 10, 1899 1,048,070 Heidel Dec. 24, 1912 1,384,807 Robertson July 19, 1921 2,106,510 Tyree et al. Jan. 25, 1938 2,106,559 

